Many thanks to UpCountry Sportfishing for hosting the book signing event on Saturday — and many thanks to everyone who showed up to buy a copy of my book, Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, or have me sign their already-purchased copy. I was truly delighted by your enthusiasm for the book, and that the writing resonated with so many of you. It’s a little surreal and a bit humbling seeing people waiting in a line to have you sign their copy of your book, but of course it’s all good. Again, my most sincere thank yous!
If you missed the UpCountry signing, or if you live downstate or in the NYC/Westchester area, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler this Saturday, August 29, from 11am-2pm. Same deal: you can buy a book there, or you can bring in your already-purchased copy. Hope to see you there, and stay tuned for more signing events.
But wait, there’s more. I’ll also be making the rounds this fall and winter to fly fishing clubs throughout the northeast to talk about the book and the river. Plus, the IFTS in November and The Fly Fishing Show, and the CFFA Expo. If you’re in charge of booking speakers for your club, I’m a professional speaker and I’d love to present to your group. Contact me and we’ll set up a date.
My apologies for not having a more fun or substantive post for today, but I am being relentlessly harassed by the Time-Space Continuum. I’m sure you understand. So for today, a reminder that I will be doing a book signing on Saturday, August 22 at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford from 11am-2pm. You’ll be able to bring a book you’ve already bought for signing, or UpCountry will have books available for purchase. Also, one week later, Saturday, August 29, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT from 11am-2pm. Hope to see you there, and I hope you’re enjoying the river, the summer, and the book.
Hot on the heels of the release of my new book, the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, I will be doing two book signings at Connecticut fly shops. On Saturday, August 22, I’ll be at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford from 11am-2pm. You’ll be able to bring a book you’ve already bought for signing, or UpCountry will have books available for purchase. One week later, Saturday, August 29, I’ll be at The Compleat Angler in Darien, CT from 11am-2pm. Ditto bringing your book or buying one there. Support your local fly shop (and of course your local author). Hope to see you there!
There have been discussions with other area fly shops for book signing events — no firm dates yet — but naturally you can read all about them here as they are posted. I’ll also be making the rounds at many northeastern TU and other fly fishing clubs. If you’re looking for a speaker, here I am!
The book is getting rave reviews, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful for your support. Get your copy signed by yours truly this month at UpCountry Sportfishing and The Compleat Angler.
This can be a challenging time of year to fish the Farmington, but I arrived on the river with a plan: swing wets in snotty, treacherous pocket water, then find a dry fly spot for the evening rise. The water bump from the dam, which put the flow in the PTMA at around 290cfs, was a welcome enhancement. (I got 54 degrees just above the PTMA at 6pm, which is wheelhouse water for trout.)
I was wading and swinging a team of three (Drowned Ant on top, LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis in the middle, my Iso Soft Hackle on point) by around 5pm. After a slow start, I connected with what would be the first of 6 trout on the wets — 5 of those fish were wild browns. And 5 of the 6 fish took the Iso soft hackle. While I didn’t see a single Isonychia flitting about — I’d rate the overall hatch activity on this evening a 2/10 — this underscores the importance of that bug as a food source for trout. Every year, some of the biggest fish I hook on a wet fly come in August on the Iso.
I’d already locked into a mid-teens wild brown when a big old buck ate the fly. Prior to this hookup, every take had come on the dangle. This one was on the dead drift, close enough to the surface for me to see the take. Three times the fish bulldogged its way upstream, twice, he seemed ready for the net, only to bolt. Between the speed of the current and the size of the fish, my forearm was on fire. I carefully walked downstream to a more favorable LZ. Finally, to the net.
Best trout of the year. No wonder this guy looks so excited!
The dry fly action from 7:30pm to 9pm was rather disappointing, having nothing to do with already landing such a fantastic fish. I found one fish working a foam line, but he was small, and though I rose him 4 times on three different patterns, there was no hookset. Finally, on the walk out in the fog, I spied a sipper that ended up clobbering my size 12 Catskills-style Light Cahill.
My victory cigar was one that I truly relished.
This is fly, minus the bead. This time of year, in lower light situations and moderate flows, there’s a good chance the fish will be looking up.
If you ordered the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River through an outside vendor, it should start shipping tomorrow. Yeeeee-hawww!!!! I’ve changed my tune a wee bit on selling copies directly to you; if you would prefer to get a signed, inscribed copy from me, you still can. You’ll find out how if you click here.
I’m pleased to announce that once again, Tony Lolli has featured me in his At the Vise column in On The Water magazine. The format has shifted a bit; instead of a “guide flies” focus, it’s more of a profile, and it also features the book.
You know that guy! On The Water is a terrific magazine with excellent photography and printed on a paper stock that feels good in your hands. Well worth seeking out. There’s an digital version, too. Many thanks to Tony for letting me play again.
Finally, the International Fly Tying Symposium has moved from Somerset, NJ, to Lancaster, PA. Lancaster is a ~most excellent~ space — it’s where they hold the Fly Fishing Show. This year’s IFTS is November 21-22. More details to come!
I have neglected the Farmington this month most cruelly. I understand the fishing has been excellent in spite of the low water, but I have been pulled in some other directions.
But not yesterday. Yesterday was one of those summer flow spikes I look for, the kind that puts some color in the water and chases most of the anglers away. The plan on those days is to throw streamers and look for a big ol’ brown that’s been hiding under a logjam for the past few weeks and is now in the hunt for a protein payoff. Yesterday I fished a full-sink tip line with an assortment of weighted and non-weighted streamers — trying to present at several levels in the water column — in both muted and bright colors. I walked about 500 yards of water, pounding the banks, waiting for that roll at the surface or that dull thud below.
It never came. The plan was go big or go home, and since I didn’t do the former — not a touch in two hours — I did the latter. But oh, man, it felt wondrous to be back.
Bring your waders if you want to sit. The water was moderately stained, 650cfs, and 64 degrees in the PTMA. As you read this, the flow has dropped dramatically and has cleared up, making for excellent conditions this weekend.
First, thank you to everyone who requested a personalized, signed copy. I received over 50 requests, which was fantastic!
But less than half of you have mailed a check or made an e-transfer. The situation is that I’m not going to the P.O. every day. I’m waiting to get at least 12 orders processed before I make a trip, and I’d like to be done with this ASAP. I don’t want to be doing this in September. The first dozen books went out last Friday. The next dozen are going out tomorrow. Then, it’s wait for 12 more orders to be finalized. So please don’t delay. Besides, you really, really need this book now. Dontcha?
In case you missed it, here’s what you need to do: 1) Pay me. Between the my cost of the book, packaging materials, and postage, it’s a nice, even $50. You can do one of three things: mail a check to me at Steve Culton, P.O. Box 657, Durham, CT 06422; pay me via Venmo (@Steven-Culton) which I prefer, or second choice PayPal (Steven Culton). Easy-squeezy.
2) Send me your address. Email your shipping address to swculton@yahoo.com. Please do not post your address on this website. Please remember I cannot ship outside the U.S. Ditto easy-squeezy.
3) Wait. Hopefully, just a little. I’m not going to schlepp down to the P.O. every day; rather, I’ll try to send them out in batches of 10 or 15 or whatever, as orders trickle in. I’ll send you an email back when your book is shipped.
If you’ve already squared up, this could be your book…
Finally, the day you’ve been waiting for! I got a visit from the UPS guy, who dropped off three cartons of shiny new books for me to sign and send off to you.
If you’re one of the 50 or so people who signed up for a personalized, signed copy, here’s what you need to do:
1) Pay me. Between the my cost of the book, packaging materials, and postage, it’s a nice, even $50. You can do one of three things: mail a check to me at Steve Culton, P.O. Box 657, Durham, CT 06422; pay me via PayPal (Steven Culton); or pay me via Venmo (@Steven-Culton). Easy-squeezy.
2) Send me your address. Email your shipping address to swculton@yahoo.com. Please do not post your address on this website. Please remember I cannot ship outside the U.S. Ditto easy-squeezy.
3) Wait. Hopefully, just a little. I’m not going to schlepp down to the P.O. every day; rather, I’ll try to send them out in batches of 10 or 15 or whatever, as orders trickle in. I’ll send you an email back when your book is shipped.
I thank you for your excitement, your enthusiasm, and your patience. I can’t wait for you to read this book!
Let’s get the bad mojo out of the way: the Block Island stripers-from-the-shore fishery has officially cratered. Five nights, not a touch. (What?!?!?!) More details on the misery to come.
On the exciting news side, my author’s copies of the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River have arrived. These are not the ones I have earmarked for sale to you (those people who have said they want a signed copy, and if you haven’t, it’s still not too late to reserve one). The book looks and feels great, and I’m beyond pleased with how it came out.
For those who have reserved a signed copy: my order with the publisher has been placed. My guess is that the books will arrive sometime in the next two weeks, hopefully on the shorter side of that. The mailers have been ordered. I just need to calculate the cost to you, and set up payment, which will be check, Venmo, or PayPal. I’m hoping to have that information to you this week. I thank you for your patience. Really. Hang tight, and you’ll be reading before you know it.
Let’s clarify: too much rain is harmful, even dangerous. But that’s not what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about a parched state that was experiencing some form of drought for several weeks. Then the rains came. From the July 4th weather brawl through yesterday, the skies were open for a much-needed watering.
At first, even though the rainfall could be measured in inches, there was no visible impact to our two major fly fishing rivers, the Farmington and the Housatonic. Two factors were in play: the ground was a dry sponge, and the trees and vegetation were in full leaf, meaning you had millions of thirsty plants. But eventually, the rivers got their share. The Hous has yet to spike, rising more than double its 350cfs pre-rain mark. The Farmington experience was more of an exercise in moderation. The Unionville gauge merely doubled from 250. The Still River, which meets the Farmington below Riverton, experienced a huge percentile flow boost. However, it was only coming in at a paltry 15cfs, and its spike didn’t even reach 200cfs.
We desperately needed this rain, and I’m thankful for it. But not just from a systemic ecological point-of-view.
Not that dramatic. Nonetheless, much needed and appreciated.
You see, I’m a total weather and stream flow nerd. I watch the River Data app like a hawk. (If you don’t have this app, get it. River Data provides on-demand access to cfs in select rivers throughout the US, and you can bookmark your favorite watersheds for fast reference.) Throughout the season, I eagerly anticipate rain events that will spike rivers — not too high, not too low. I’m looking for elevated river flows that introduce some amount of color to the water — not chocolate milk, but more like tea. This is when you can experience some of the best nymphing, and especially streamer action of the season. What’s more, water spikes shuffle the deck, move fish around, and provide a respite from warmer water temperatures.
You don’t need to wade very far from the shore. (In extreme cases, that may not be possible. Rules of thumb: never wade in water where you can’t see the bottom; never wade in water that you’re not very familiar with; never wade without a staff and spiked boots; never wade alone.) The fish, like you, aren’t interested in battling swift or raging currents. They’re close to shore, in pockets, behind structure, seeking the most moderate flows that will provide cover and food. In particular, I like to fish streamers in these conditions because the news gets even better: cfs and color spikes are when the big boys come out to play. These are often your best periods to up your chances of catching big fish, and sometimes multiple big fish. I like bigger flies, flies that create a commotion, and I will use both bright and dark colors, usually with equal success.
currentseams.com 